Question

Which planet is called the dwarf planet?
a)Mercury
b)Pluto
c)Mars
d)Uranus

Answer 1

Hint:A planet is a celestial body that is spherical in shape, orbits the Sun and has cleared other similar sized bodies from the neighbourhood of its orbit. There are 8 planets in our solar system.

Complete answer:A dwarf planet , like a planet , is spherical in shape and orbits a star like the Sun. However , unlike a planet, it hasn't cleared its orbit of other similar sized objects. In other words, a dwarf planet is a planet that is not a satellite and does not dominate its region of space.

Let us look at the options given to us-
Option A- Mercury is the first planet from the Sun. Mercury is the smallest and the fastest planet in the solar system as it orbits the Sun in just 88days.

Option B- Pluto is a dwarf planet as it has not cleared its orbit of other smaller objects. Pluto lies in the Kuiper belt that is situated beyond Neptune. It has no rings and five moons. Pluto was earlier classified as a planet but now the International Astronomical Union recognises it as a dwarf planet.

Option C- Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is a rocky planet that has an atmosphere made of carbon dioxide and argon. It has two moons.

Option D- Neptune is the eight planet from the Sun. It is the most distant planet from the Sun. It is an ice giant with 14 moons and 5 main rings.

Therefore the correct answer is option (B).

Note:It is estimated that the Kuiper belt has around 200 dwarf planets. Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake are some other recognized dwarf planets. Another fact to note is that Pluto has an elliptical orbit because of which it is sometimes closer to the Sun than Neptune is.